BIG wraps up its work on the WHWise project with MSU-IIT, Miriam College Foundation and UP Mindanao

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In 2021, Bayan Academy, Miriam College Foundation, Mindanao State University - Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT), and University of the Philippines Mindanao signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly implement Women-Helping-Women: Innovating Social Enterprises: innovation thru Building and Leveraging Entrepreneurship Development, Networking and Inclusive Community Engagement (WHWise: iBLEnDNICE 4WomEn).

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Through this project, the co-implementing partners delivered a customized incubation program for women-led social enterprises, which were chosen as WHWISE grantees on the basis of their needs for early-stage funding, access to technology, and gender-focused support.

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Bayan Innovation Group (BIG), as Bayan Academy’s project lead for WHWise, delivered the social enterprise management training course, How to Manage a Business that Does Good: An Overview of Social Enterprise Management Concepts, specially customized for WHWise grantees. Over the course of 3 weeks in February 2022, the WHWISE grantees underwent training in social enterprise operations, marketing, and finance to level up, not just their knowledge of management concepts, but in the practical application of these in their enterprise operations.

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This social enterprise management course is anchored on the book, How to Manage a Business that Does Good: A Guidebook for Social Entrepreneurs to Deepen Their Business and Social Impact, published by Bayan Academy.

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Mentoring sessions for WHWise grantees were also facilitated by BIG from October to December of 2022. The Mentoring Sessions for the Alignment of WHWise Project Outcomes to Social Enterprise Management” were conducted in 2 phases, which covered the Identification of Social Enterprise Management Issues and the Project Assignment, up until the Evaluation of Project Performance and Identification of Next Steps for the Project.

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Having just wrapped up its work on the WHWise project, BIG continues its efforts to advance social entrepreneurship in the country.  As the lead orchestrator of the National Social Enterprise Development Roadmap, BIG has begun to mobilize partners from 6 subsectors: corporations, academic institutions, public agencies, cooperatives, NGOs and social enterprises registered as MSMEs or people’s associations. These partners will lead the implementation of the Roadmap, initiate a sector-led social enterprise registry and accreditation system, and push for recognition of Philippine social enterprises through policies.  

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Among those joining BIG in this effort are WHWise partners MSU-IIT and Miriam College Foundation. Both are members of the Roadmap governance system, under the academe subsector. The call for partners and the implementation of the Roadmap will continue throughout 2023.

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To learn more about BIG’s work on the National Social Enterprise Development Roadmap, send us a message at collaborate@bayaninnovationgroup.org.

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